Across the globe, single parent homes are on the rise. In the US, the 2000 census (人口普查) showed 24.8 million, or nearly 24 percent of the nation’s 105.5 million households, were traditional two-parent homes. By comparison, 9.8 million households, or 9 percent of all US households were headed by an adult raising a child alone. The 1990 census showed 26 percent of homes were led by a married mother and father, and 8 percent of homes were led by a single parent.
Similar increases occurred in other countries. In the UK, lone-parent homes increased from 3.3 percent in 1990 to 5.5 percent in 1999. Single parent households in Australia rose from 5.8 percent in 1990 to 7.6 percent in 1999. Belgium saw the increase from 1.8 percent to 2.7 percent during the same period of time. These countries tend to have greater acceptance of the single parent because there are fewer nearby family members to disapprove, Riche, a Census Bureau director, said.
Just as in the US, those changes raised new questions about how involved govenment should be in helping single parent families. Some research suggests children raised in two-parent families are better off than those who depend on one.
“The position of one-parent families in any country is very much a gender (性别) issue-women’s opportunities, especially working-class women on low income,” said Sue Cohen, coordinator (协调员) of the Single Action Parents Network in England.Not considering the exact number of the single-parent families, which country saw the fastest rise rate in 1999, compared with 1990?
| A．UK. | B．Australia. | C．America. | D．Belgium. |
What is the cause of the rise of single parent families across the globe?
| A．The nearby family members have a favourable opinion. |
| B．A lone parent is well off enough to support his /her children. |
| C．A lot of problems have arisen in two-parent families. |
| D．We cannot get enough proving information from the text. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the increase of single parent families according to the passage?
| A．It will somewhat limit the growing population of younger generation. |
| B．Governments should take actions about the social problems brought about by it. |
| C．Single parent families are not looked down upon in any country mentioned here. |
| D．Generally speaking, the single parents needn’t worry since they are highly paid. |
Which of the following diagrams correctly shows the rise of single parent families in the US from 1990 to 2000?
There’s a small town in the central part of England called Gotham. Some say it’s a town of fools. Others say all the villagers are wise. Let me tell you about the people of Gotham so you can decide for yourself.
Long ago, England was ruled by a cruel king named John. One day, the people of Gotham heard that King John and his men would soon be riding through their town.This worried the villagers, for they knew the greedy king would demand food and accommodation for his men. What’s more, if he saw anything to his liking, he would surely take it.
A town meeting was called. After much discussion, the townspeople decided to cut down a number of huge trees to block the roads leading into Gotham. When King John and his men reached the outskirts of the village, they could not pass. Angry, King John ordered his men to go into the town and punish the villagers.
When the king’s officers finally made their way over the trees, they found a village of fools. Some say that was because the people of Gotham had a plan—they had decided to act like fools since they had never heard of anyone being punished for being a noodlehead. Others say that’s just the way they were.
In the village, the king’s men encountered a man riding a donkey. The man was bent over because he carried a huge bag of grain on his own shoulders. He looked exhausted. One of the king’s men approached him and asked, “Why, in heaven’s name, are you carrying that bag? Why don’t you just put it behind you on your donkey’s back?”
“You see,” replied the man from Gotham, “my donkey is feeling poor today. It’s bad enough that she has to carry me, so I decided to lighten her burden by carrying the bag myself.”
The king’s men said, “But sir, don’t you see that if you’re riding on top of the donkey, she’s
still carrying the weight of the bag?” The man didn’t reply. He just looked at the king’s men as if they were crazy and went on his way. The king’s officers giggled at the foolishness of the man. Before long, they passed a pond where they found a number of villagers in the midst of a great argument. Two of them were holding a big eel. “Quiet down,” commanded one of the king’s men. “What’s the problem here?”
One of the villagers stepped forward and said, “Last year we took all the extra fish we [caught and put them in this pond so they would multiply. But this year when we came back, all we caught was this one huge eel. Obviously it has eaten all of our fish! Since then, we have argued long and hard over how to punish this bad eel. But we have finally agreed on the perfect punishment. We are just about to drown the eel in this very pond!” The king’s officers couldn’t believe their ears. Drown an eel whose home is in the water? These men were sillier than the first man they met!
Before long, they reached the center of the village, where they were in for another surprise. There they found the rest of the townspeople building a towering stone wall. When the soldiers inquired what was going on, one of the villagers replied, “Every spring a cuckoo comes to live in our village. It always brings warm weather. When it leaves, the cold weather returns. Last year we decided that if we could get the cuckoo to stay here all year, we would always have warm weather. We built this stone wall, but it obviously wasn’t high enough because the bird flew away. This year we’re determined to build it so high that the cuckoo can’t escape.”
The king’s officers had heard enough. They couldn’t bring themselves to punish such stupid people. They returned to King John and told him all about the fools of Gotham. Whether it’s fair or not, the people of Gotham have been known as fools ever since.
What do you think? Were the villagers of Gotham wise or foolish?This story is most like___________.
| A．a news article | B．a folktale |
| C．realistic fiction | D．historical fiction |
The story is set in___________.
| A．A city | B．A forest |
| C．A royal palace | D．A small village |
Why do the townspeople cut down the trees?
| A．To make room for their crops. |
| B．To block the roads to the village. |
| C．To create a gift for the king’s men. |
| D．To build accommodation for the king’s men. |
The townspeople are worried about the king’s visit because he will___________.
| A．laugh at them |
| B．cut down their trees |
| C．take anything he wants |
| D．want to move to their town |
Based on the story, why might the townspeople be considered wise?
| A．They trick the king’s men into thinking they are fools. |
| B．They think ahead by putting their extra fish into a pond. |
| C．They make sure their donkeys are healthy enough to work. |
| D．They realize the importance of warm weather to their crops. |
Item 78431 The Video Camera Pen
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This is the pen that has a built-in video camera, capturing(拍摄，录制)videos or still images with a click of its button. Ideal for use while secured in a pocket, it can capture up to five hours of video. Its battery provides up to two hours of power before requiring a recharge.
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This is the watch that vividly displays 120 of your favorite digital photographs. You can download digital photographs to the watch. The watch can be viewed in the Photo Album mode (模式) or digital mode( time and date view). A six-hour charge provides up to 10 days of use.What's the purpose of this passage?
| A．To advertise some goods. |
| B．To compare some goods. |
| C．To teach how to operate the items |
| D．To show how fashionable the items are. |
What do Item 7.8431 and Item 78098 have in common according to this passage?
| A．They both sell well. |
| B．They both can take photos. |
| C．They both have unusual appearances. |
| D．They are both cheap. |
If you're a movie fan, you probably show strong interest in.
| A．Item 78098 | B．Item 78431 |
| C．Item 77281 | D．Item 77918 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．In fact, Item 78098 cannot tell time. |
| B．Item 77918 works as a DVD player. |
| C．In a way, Item 77281 is user-friendly |
| D．All the items include rechargeable batteries. |
Why do people drink too much, eat too much ,smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What's to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive(自我毁灭的) acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn't quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it's having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first sip(啜饮) of beer. Disgusting, wasn't it? When my father gave me my first taste of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette—it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation you need will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically, only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to them, can ever come to someday develop a "taste" for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren't self-control failures—far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control ,but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it.What do most people think causes bad behavior?
| A．Being forced by others. |
| B．Enjoying their first experiences. |
| C．Not having enough will power. |
| D．Following the examples of their friends. |
The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove.
| A．will power helps develop bad habits sometimes |
| B．drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers |
| C．self-control should be developed when one is young |
| D．everyone can be challenged by different temptations |
In the last paragraph, the author stresses that.
| A．without self-control, no one can succeed |
| B．applying self-control correctly is important |
| C．bad habits don't always lead to bad results |
| D．people can develop wisdom from bad behavior |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My First Sip of Beer | B．Do You Have Will Power? |
| C．Will Power Benefits Us | D．Dark Side of Self-control |
You still don't know what to do this summer? Well, here's your chance to win a one-week language course in Kent, England! Free4Fun and ETC (English Travel Connections)are giving away two trips to Rochester. This historic city is less than an hour's drive from London and close to the sea resort of Heine Bay. It is also the home of one of England's most famous writers, Charles Dickens. The town of Rochester is in Southeast England. Charles Dickens often wrote about it in his books. His home, Gad's Hill, is there, too. A popular attraction is Rochester Castle, a large Norman fortress (堡垒). It was built in the 11th century and rebuilt during the 14th century. Other attractions are Rochester Cathedral, which was built during the 13th century, and Dickens Centre. It has got its name in honour of Dickens himself.
The trip to England includes:
* travel by train( via the Eurotunnel)to and from any railway station in Germany
* room and full board with a guest family for one week
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* two trips to London
* large choice of sports and entertainment
* German-speaking advisors available 24 hours a day
Interested? All you have to do is to answer the following question: When was Charles Dickens born?
So, take the chance and send your answer by May 1 to:
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For further information contact.
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e-mail :info@ etc. comRochester Cathedral was built in the.
| A．1400s | B．1300s | C．1200s | D．1100s |
What activities can you participate in during the trip?
| A．Enjoying sports and entertainment. |
| B．Learning the German language. |
| C．Traveling by train with a guest' family. |
| D．Working as a language advisor. |
If you want to win a prize you have to send your answer to.
| A．the June issue of Free4fun | B．ETC |
| C．info@ etc. com | D．free4fun@ netlight, com |
This advertisement was designed to target.
| A．Italians | B．Germans |
| C．Europeans | D．Americans |
Today's children are the "result" of the modern society. Our parents have jobs that keep them busy almost all day long. They only have a free day in a week. This doesn't allow them to keep an eye on their children.
On the other hand, the modern society gives more freedom to the children than they could "handle". As a child, you don't know how to grow up by yourself until you reach a certain age. That is why you need school and parents to be by your side all the time. If you don't have either of them you may make a lot of mistakes. The social system of the modem society is very lenient especially with the children.
Most of the children today are rebels(叛逆者). They are rude. They are given too much freedom by their families. This is their parents' mistake. They ought to know that the freedom they give to their children is misunderstood.
For example it is a bad thing for a 17-year-old child to go out in the evening on weekends. Parents are also guilty of the way their children show up in the street or at school. The same guilt belongs to the teaching system as well. Pupils shouldn't be allowed to dress like they were on a fashion presentation at school.
Another important fact we can think of regarding the freedom of children is their free will of spending money. Parents shouldn't allow their children to spend money on whatever they want.
I think children are given too much freedom not only by their parents, but also by the society. The latter is more to be blamed！The writer implies that parents' busy lifestyle.
| A．makes their children become independent |
| B．may lead to a tense parent-child relationship |
| C．is harmful to their children's health |
| D．is likely to create a troubled generation |
What does the underlined word "lenient" ( in Paragraph 2 ) mean ?
| A．Not responsible. | B．Not strict. |
| C．Unkind. | D．Unfair. |
It seems that the writer agrees that students.
| A．should stay at home on weekends |
| B．can wear trendy clothes at school |
| C．had better wear school uniform at school |
| D．can be allowed to go out in the evenings |
According to the writer, which of the following takes the primary responsibility for children's problems?
| A．The social environment. | B．The educational system. |
| C．Each family. | D．The school. |